Pacific Crest Trail Hiked In The Winter For First Time
The Pacific Crest Trail is one of those "bucket list" items for die-hard hikers. The trail starts in the town of Campo, California, at the border fence with Mexico. It then heads a whopping 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington before ending in Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada. The route traverses 26 National Forests, seven National Parks, five State Parks, and four National Monuments.
The average hiker takes roughly five months to complete the journey, and will usually leave in April or May in order to complete the trek by September. Why? Because winters get particularly brutal on the trail, particularly in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
But that didn't stop hikers Justin Lichter and Shawn Forry, who recently became the first hikers to successfully complete the trek during the winter. They're also from the town of Truckee, meaning that they should know a thing or two about the dangers of getting stuck in winter snow.
The duo started on October 20th, using snowshoes and skis to travel the path, before reaching the end of the trail on March 1st. They also went north-to-south on the trail, which isn't the usual direction; only 5% of hikers head south-bound. While this kind of challenge isn't recommended by park rangers, the successful attempt will certainly lead to more thrill-seekers to take the same route.